Daily Mail cover price to rise to 55p to offset high print costs

The price of the Daily Mail is to increase by 5p from Monday as the newspaper's owner looks to offset the continuing high cost of newsprint.

Daily Mail & General Trust (DMGT), which also publishes the Mail on Sunday, Metro and the MailOnline and Thisismoney websites, said it was the first increase in the price of the weekday Daily Mail since April 2008.

The cover price will rise to 55p - the first rise since April 2008 - but the cost of the Saturday edition and that of the Mail on Sunday will remain unchanged.

The company said that since the last rise the
cost of the paper for printing had increased by nearly 30 per cent while
fuel prices for distribution had soared and the cost of living had risen by 15
per cent since the past

As well as newsprint costs, DMGT said the rise will help mitigate some of the recent decline in advertising revenues.

Price rises: The Daily Mail newspaper cost will be 55p

Its Associated Newspapers division, which houses
the company's national titles, saw advertising revenues fall 7 per cent
on last year in the 13 weeks to July 3, with the figure down 9 per cent
for the five weeks of June.

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The company said the performance
reflected the fragile consumer economy, which has meant continued
uncertainty for advertisers in the retail sector.

DMGT said the downturn was offset by
the circulation performance of the Daily Mail, which has 'significantly
outperformed' the market over the last year. The title is Britain's
second-biggest daily newspaper with daily sales of more than two
million.

DMGT also owns Northcliffe Media,
which includes about 100 regional newspaper titles, and a
business-to-business information division.